The Western Daughter
by cmsully
Summary: *1st in series* Two girls shall meet their destinies across time- The Human Girl Who Fell Backwards, and the Youkai Girl Who Was Thrown Forwards. We all know that Kagome Higurashi is the Girl Who Fell... but what about the Girl Who Was Thrown? Sesshomaru finally learns about his younger twin sister who was lost... meanwhile, a pregnant Lily Potter suddenly gains a daughter...
1. Chapter 1

*I don't own InuYasha, Harry Potter, or any of their characters.

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><p>During her long reign as the Lady of the West, Lady Satori was considered to be an enigma for many of the younger generations, with only her son Sesshomaru being known as a bigger enigma. Playful yet devious, she was best known for either putting down her enemies ruthlessly or stringing them along until she got bored and put them out of her misery. However, there was one thing she had dreaded above all else, something that had affected her entire relationship with Sesshomaru to the point where many wondered on whether or not the two actually cared for each other.<p>

She dreaded her son's reaction to the long-held secret she and her former mate had ordered concealed from him. One that, in all honesty, had and continued to have affected him most of all.

Lady Satori knew, however, that the time had come for the secret to finally be told.

In order to not have to see Sesshomaru's cold angry eyes, she glanced back down at the portrait he had thrust at her with a commanded, "Explain." She had thought that Tōga had destroyed it oh-so long ago… clearly, however, she had been mistaken. Almost greedily, she studied the minute details of the only portrait that ordinarily would've held a place of honor in the Western Stronghold, which despite it being her birthright she had abandoned as soon as she could.

Losing composure for the first time in Sesshomaru's memory as the faint howls of her worst memory echoed slightly in her ears, she whispered, "Where did you find this?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly as his anger changed somewhat (but was not fully abandoned) to confusion, he answered, "When I went to fix the mess that Masashi left behind when he abandoned his post, I happened to notice the deplorable state of my childhood home. I immediately ordered to bring the Western Stronghold back up to where it _should_ have been, and expected that to be the end of it. Imagine my surprise, however, when there was a room that could only be opened by the Lord of the West, and imagine my utter shock for this room, which I had expected to have items too dangerous to be allowed amongst lesser beings, to be dedicated to what appears to be a pup that obviously has a close tie to my family and bears a certain similarity to not only me, but to you and Father as well. Not only that, but my instincts are telling me that I should _know_ this pup, despite the fact that up until now I had never even known of her existence. Tell me, Mother, _who is this pup_?"

By the end of this speech, Sesshomaru was almost snarling with his anger and confusion. In fact, Satori could tell how deep his feelings ran for him to abandon his normally formal speech. Even the news that his father had sired a hanyou and had left it the powerful Tessaiga while he had only gained Tenseiga had never shaken her oldest pup this much.

Taking a deep breath to gather the strength needed to re-open old wounds that had never truly healed, Satori glanced back up into her son's eyes. "That, my son, is a lengthy answer that will require privacy," she replied. Standing up swiftly, she wordlessly beckoned Sesshomaru to follow her.

Together, the two royal Inu walked through Satori's second home. The castle had belonged to her mother's father, who was her paternal grandfather's greatest spy. As a reward for his hard work in several key battles to help suppress an attempted coup, the Lord of the West had offered both a minor castle and the offer of a marriage contract between his son and the newly-made lord's daughter. Accepting the offer, the spy then promptly proceeded to make changes to the already impressive castle. One of those changes happened to be a study with shields that, when activated by one who carried his bloodline, would be nigh impenetrable. Secrets that were told in there would only leave the room by the verbal consent of every person involved.

It was to this room that Satori led her son. As soon as he walked in, she closed the door and quickly activated the shields. She could almost feel Sesshomaru raising a brow at this, but as he said nothing she couldn't be sure.

Oh, it was so, so hard for her to do this. Turning back around, Satori stared steadily into her son's eyes as for the very first time she let down her emotional shields in front of him. Ignoring her son's raised brows, the Lady of the West studied the heir to her highest birthright. He had definitely grown into someone she could be proud of, even if he had inherited his father's tendency to pick up random humans. Realizing that her mind was distracting her from the matter at hand, the regal Inu shoved those thoughts to the side.

"Mother," Sesshomaru began finally. "You still haven't answered my question- who is the pup held in Father's arms in that portrait?"

Raising her chin slightly as she walked over and placed the portrait on the desk, Satori answered, "That, my son, is Kie… your younger twin sister."

For the first time since he was a young pup, Sesshomaru's surprise forced his own shields to falter. "You lie!" he snarled.

"You think I would lie about my own daughter?!" Satori snarled back. Having her emotions running all over the place already definitely didn't help the situation, but if she was truly honest she didn't care. It was always hard to even _think_ about Kie, let alone talk about her precious baby girl, and having someone try to deny her existence (however indirect it was) definitely caused her more animalistic side to come out in defense.

Sesshomaru took an involuntary step backward at her snarl. Obviously trying to recollect himself, he glanced back towards the portrait. In an attempt to calm herself, Satori looked back towards it as well. She barely managed to suppress her tears as she saw the delicate twin jagged violet crests on each cheek, the white mop of hair that looked destined to be as thick as Tōga's, and those golden eyes that had once been filled with so much curiosity. Truly, just like her brother Kie was a perfect blend of her parents.

"Tell me everything," Sesshomaru finally ordered neutrally.

Taking a deep breath, Satori began, "As you well know, females of our race are rare. So too are twins. However, when you and Kie were born, all of the Western Lands rejoiced, for the heir to be twinned with a female could only be an omen of extreme good fortune- hence, Kie's name, which we intended to mean Uncommon Blessing. Seeing as you had the crest of the Heir upon your brow while Kie did not, your father and I suspected that you would be the twin with the most power while Kie would be the one with better control. After a while, we were proven right- while you would be the first to take your first steps, Kie wasn't far behind and had soon figured it out better than you.

"Even from the very beginning, you and Kie were extremely close. If one of you was upset, the other would be there to help calm them down, and vice versa. Tōga found it funny, though, that Kie was the more curious pup while you were the one who would show more caution.

"It seemed, however, that your more cautious nature would help save you while Kie's curious nature..." here Satori trailed off as her throat tightened with sadness. Taking another deep breath, she was able to continue, "Her curious nature led to her being lost to us… although Tōga and I were assured it will not always be so."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Sesshomaru inquired, "What do you mean?"

Closing her eyes as she allowed the memories of that awful day to come to the forefront of her mind, she began, "It was shortly after you and Kie had become comfortable enough switching between your true forms and your two-legged forms, and Tōga had returned from the North after working on a treaty between us and the Dragon Lord Ryūkotsusei…"

* * *

><p><em>The Western Lady was waiting in the courtyard for the arrival of her mate, who was due to come home today after a reportedly successful negotiation with the Dragons. Musing on this, she wondered if her pups would be able to grow up in a world of peace. Considering how powerful the two of them had just proven themselves to be, she very much hoped so, for while she could already see Sesshomaru thriving in a land that was constantly filled with battles she just couldn't see her daughter doing the same.<em>

_"The Lord approaches!" soon came the triumphant ceremonial cry of one of the guards._

_Seconds after, the imposing gates opened to reveal her equally imposing mate. As soon as he caught sight of her, however, the imposing effect lessened as he smiled._

_Desire lightly coursed through her at the sight of that smile. Tōga truly was handsome, she admitted silently, especially when he smiled._

_"My Lady," he greeted warmly. While ordinarily it would be the Lady's duty to greet the Lord first, since Satori was the one who inherited the Seat of the Western Lands she was considered to be higher ranked than her mate (although admittedly, not by much). Hence, Tōga greeting her first._

_Inclining her head, she responded, "My Lord. I take it that negotiations went well?"_

_As he offered an arm to his mate (who promptly took it), Tōga replied, "I think they went very well indeed. If things keep going as smoothly as they have been, Sesshomaru and Kie may yet be able to grow up to a world of unprecedented peace."_

_Satori opened her mouth to congratulate her mate, however an explosion suddenly rocked the palace grounds. Even over the sounds of the explosion, several very distinctive roars were heard._

_"Dragons?! What do they think they're doing?!" came the surprised roar of Tōga._

_Lady Satori, however, had a far more chilling realization gripping her heart. "The pups!" she cried as she abandoned all semblance of aloofness. Quickly, she raced towards the nursery with her mate not far behind._

_The chill only increased when they saw the dismembered body of their loyal nanny, who had been there when Satori had been a pup herself, lying outside of the broken nursery door. It was obvious that she had put up a valiant fight, but it was equally obvious it hadn't been enough._

_Panicking, Satori began to move aside the shattered pieces of wood, with Tōga joining her scarcely a second later. When enough of the debris had been cleared, the Lord and Lady rushed into the destroyed nursery. Reverting to her instincts, Satori howled out a searching call._

_She almost sobbed in relief when she heard her son respond. As she repeated it, she soon managed to pin down Sesshomaru's location. Picking him up from underneath a loose floorboard, Satori quickly nuzzled him reassuringly while simultaneously checking him for injuries._

_As she did this, Tōga howled out his own searching call for Kie. Unlike with Sesshomaru (who was growing increasingly agitated in Satori's arms), however, Kie didn't respond._

_Quickly scenting the air, Tōga's eyes turned blood-red with sudden rage._

_"Those despicable dragons KIDNAPPED MY PUP!" he roared._

_As he rushed outside to safely transform, Satori flared her youki urgently. To her relief, it was the Captain of the Guard who responded first._

_Knowing that he had a male pup of his own, she quickly handed Sesshomaru over as she ordered, "Take care of him until we return."_

_"Yes, my Lady," he responded, bowing even as he settled the agitated Sesshomaru more comfortably against him. Satori barely comprehended his soothing growls as she too rushed outside. Transforming, she quickly took off after her mate. Soon drawing even with him, the two single-mindedly rushed after their pup._

_For miles this chase went on, the Inu chasing after their pup and the Dragons who took her. It did not matter which obstacle arose, whether it be a human village or an idiotic youkai who didn't realize the danger that two dominant Inu in protective parent mode represented, Satori and Tōga simply knocked them out of the way in their haste to retrieve Kie._

_Unfortunately for them, these particular Dragons were of the clan notorious for their speed and magical prowess, and little by little the Dragons edged on ahead. Soon, Tōga and Satori were forced to track them by scent… which thanks to their Inu nature they excelled at._

_Finally, they came across where the scent of Kie and Dragon lay thickest. It was obvious from the lack of large Dragon bodies that her daughter's kidnappers were powerful enough to assume a humanoid form. As they approached the clearing filled with an abandoned well and her daughter's kidnappers, Satori's eyes widened with fear as she heard chanting over Kie's frightened, pain-filled howls. She recognized those words- the Dragons were going to turn Kie human and let the chaos of her suppressed and untamed youki kill her from the inside!_

_Her fear reflected in her snarls, she turned back into her two-legged form in order to prevent the possibility of accidentally stepping on her pup and allowed her natural poison to rise up into her claws. Beside her, Tōga also resumed his humanoid form and drew Sō'unga._

_Although she was unfamiliar with the Dragon who was casting that awful spell, Tōga seemed to know him well as he roared, "RYOHEI! You DARE dishonor the treaty that your honorable father has helped create between the North and the West?!"_

_Obviously refusing to allow himself to be distracted from his task, Ryohei gestured to his men to distract the rulers of the West while he finished the spell that a rogue created hanyou had once made to take vengeance on her unfaithful youkai lover. The youkai lover in question had been the beloved third son of the Southern Lord, and upon hearing his son's fate the Southern Lord had incited his fellow Lords and led the lands to brutally slaughter any hanyou he could, regardless of their innocence. It was thanks to this one act that hanyou became as despised as they were, for to forcibly change someone and allow their own nature to destroy them from the inside was considered to be the height of cruelty. Even those humans who wielded 'holy' powers never went that far._

_For several long minutes the sounds of battle and of a pup's pain filled the air. As they finished off the last of Ryohei's men, Tōga and Satori watched with horror as the spell was completed and Kie's youki was sealed._

_"Finally… now watch, rulers of the West, as the opening salvo of the West's destruction is completed!" the second son of the Northern Lord boasted as he walked over to the well and proceeded to toss the crying pup down into its dark depths._

_"NOOO!" cried out Tōga and Satori as they rushed towards the well. As Ryohei's triumphant laughter rang through the air while he used his magic to teleport away, the two parents frantically searched the inside of the well. However, it was all in vain- Ryohei had chosen the infamous Bone Eater's Well to be Kie's final resting place, and their daughter had been lost to the well's magic._

_Together, the Western Lord and Lady howled their anguish to the heavens._

* * *

><p>"'Opening salvo'? Is this the 'great betrayal' that began the War between the North and West?" interrupted Sesshomaru, whose face took on an unreadable quality as Satori told her story. However, his eyes betrayed him- Satori recognized a lesser version of those eyes when her son found out that Tenseiga could only resurrect a person once.<p>

Nodding, Satori explained, "Yes. Our spies later found out that Ryohei had been acting upon his father's orders, thus rendering the treaty broken. You remember the rest- the War lasted until your father finally sealed Ryūkotsusei while an unknown ally destroyed all of those who were in line for the Northern Throne and supported Ryūkotsusei's actions and ideals, leaving only those few descendants who protested against their Lord… and Ryohei himself."

"And Ryohei's fate?"

Shaking her head, Satori answered, "To this day, I have sent my best spies to find his location. However, he wasn't known as the best sorcerer of the North for nothing- he has somehow managed to seemingly disappear without a trace. Whether he is dead or alive, I have no idea… however, I pray that he lives so that I may finally take my vengeance on him for what he did that day." As she spoke this last statement, the Lady of the West's eyes flashed red with the promise of future bloodshed should she ever finally manage to find her prey.

For several seconds, silence reigned once more. Then… "What did you mean when you mentioned that you and father were assured that 'it would not always be so,' Mother?"

Despite the topic, Satori couldn't help but smile slightly as she recalled what had occurred. The hope that she and her mate had been given that day was only surpassed by the sheer bizarreness of what had happened next…

* * *

><p><em>"Oh, no! I was hoping we'd get to prevent this vision!"<em>

_The anguished parents, who had momentarily stopped howling, spun at the sound of the male voice. Their eyes widened as they beheld a… rather _strange_ human couple._

_While the female at first glance appeared to be normal (when compared to other humans) by her shorter stature and her dark hair, a quick glance at her silvery-blue eyes quickly laid that assumption to rest. When her eyes met Satori's, the Western Lady was shocked by the feeling that coursed through her- the feeling that those eyes, while seemingly distant, could see directly into the darkest depths of her soul if they chose to._

_On the other hand, the male that had spoken that strange statement was odd from the first time you glanced at him. With dark blue eyes that were slightly crossed, hair that had the oddest stringy texture which was a peculiar shade of white that almost made it seem a dark grey, and some of the most eye-searingly colored clothes Satori had ever seen on any being, he was certainly quite memorable._

_Together, they made quite the odd couple… however, even through her grief Satori could see just how well they _fit_. If there ever were two humans who were bound together by the red string of fate that Satori had once heard about, it would be this particular pair._

_Nevertheless, their presence here so soon after her daughter's disappearance into the well was quite suspicious. Tōga apparently thought so too, for his youki began to rise up to battle levels and a dangerous growl rumbled through his lips._

_"Hey, hey, easy, we're on your side!" protested the strange man as he took a step back and raised up his hands to show he was unarmed._

_Satori's brows furrowed slightly as she noticed that the man's lips did not sync up with what she had heard. Yet another oddity to be placed upon the couple…_

_The man's companion, obviously noting her confusion, explained, "We actually don't speak your language naturally, so we're using an obscure translation charm in order to make communication easier."_

_"And why would two obviously foreign humans be concerned with us?" growled Tōga._

_"Because I've seen your daughter's future," answered the man, to the shock of the two Inu._

_Satori stopped breathing as the implications of the man's statement coursed through her. If her daughter's _future_ could be seen… Kie was still alive!_

_Tōga, apparently, felt just the same as he breathed out, "Her future… you mean…?"_

_"Yes, your little one is still alive," reassured the strange man. "However, you won't be able to see her for a very long time."_

_"How long?" barked out Satori._

_Taking a deep breath, suddenly the man's eyes uncrossed as they seemed to fall out of focus. As his spine stiffened to a point where the Lady of the West knew it had to be painful for him, one of the woman's eyebrows rose._

_"Well, this is unexpected," she murmured._

_Glancing towards her, Tōga inquired, "What's unexpected?"_

_"Well, normally when my husband sees the future, it happens as a vision- easily seen, somewhat easy to interpret, and able to be changed if you can understand and act in time. However, he's about to recite a prophecy, which no one has yet been able to change. They can also be somewhat hard to interpret, as well, although there have been some that were pretty straightforward," came the explanation._

_Before the two parents could inquire as to what she meant, the man began to speak in a loud, harsh voice._

"YIN AND YANG… HUMAN AND YOUKAI… TWO GIRLS SHALL MEET THEIR DESTINIES ACROSS TIME… THE GIRL WHO FELL BACKWARDS, AND THE GIRL WHO WAS THROWN FORWARDS… ONE SHALL UNKNOWINGLY BLAZE ALONG HER PATH, WHILE THE OTHER SHALL KNOWINGLY WORK FROM THE SHADOWS… SHE WHO FALLS SHALL FIND HER HEART LIES IN THE PAST, WHILE SHE WHO WAS THROWN SHALL LEARN OF HER PAST IN THE FUTURE… BOTH BLESSED BY GODS, THEY ALONG WITH THEIR MATES SHALL TRAVERSE ALL ALONG TIME USING THE PORTAL THAT TIES THEM BOTH TOGETHER… WHEN THE GIRL WHO FALLS APPEARS, FIVE HUNDRED YEARS SHALL PASS… BEFORE THE ONE WHO WAS THROWN REGAINS… WHAT SHE HAS LOST…_"_

_As he stated those final words, the man seemed to stumble. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of his companion, Satori was sure the man would've fallen._

_Breathing heavily, he turned towards to his companion. "Did I…?"_

_"Yes," answered the woman, obviously knowing what he was asking._

_"What was it about this time?"_

_"We finally learned when we can find the lost little one, plus it turns out she won't be the only time-traveler."_

_"Really?"_

_Before the two humans could continue their conversation, Satori snapped, "Will you tell us about our daughter already?!"_

_Looking up into her eyes, the female human held up a hand as she soothed, "Peace, my Lady. As soon as my husband recovers, he'll be able to answer all the questions that he can."_

_Satori felt like snarling by this point, however the comforting weight of her mate's hand on her shoulder stopped her. Glancing at him, she could see that it was only through his iron control that he wasn't snarling at the humans himself, and his eyes begged her to reinforce her own control._

We need them alive and whole_, they seemed to say. She laid her right hand on his to show her understanding of this. Feeling the responding squeeze, she turned her attention back towards the foreign couple._

_The man had obviously recovered enough for him to give out necessary explanations, for when the Lady of the West's gaze landed on him he promptly began, "Okay, so first thing's first- my name is Hywel Lovegood, and this is my wife Clarimonde. And you are the Lord and Lady of the West, correct?" At the youkai couple's nod, he continued, "Great. So, next thing- your daughter. As you've probably figured out from what I said earlier, she _is_ alive… just not here."_

_"Where is she?" demanded Tōga._

_"She's in our home country many years into the future," came the answer._

_Suspicious, Satori questioned, "And how do you know that she's in your home country?" As a horrible thought struck her, she added, "For that matter, how can we trust that what you say is the truth? The prophecy you just recited aside, this could be yet another trick of the Dragons."_

_Suddenly, it seemed like Clarimonde was about to protest the way the youkai were treating her husband (which, in a distant part of Satori's mind raised the amount of respect for her- after all, to be willing to stand up against she and her mate was a testament to the human's bravery- but also condemned her, for to go against two Inuyoukai who had just lost their pup was the height of stupidity) however before she could open her mouth Hywel mirrored Tōga's earlier actions. Bending down, he quickly whispered something into his wife's ear. Out of common courtesy, the Lady of the West refrained from using her superior senses to hear what he said._

_It seemed to work, however, for the woman nodded (albeit reluctantly) and calmed down. After a brief kiss to his wife, Hywel turned back towards the anxiously awaiting parents._

_Taking a deep breath, Hywel pulled a polished stick out of his right sleeve._

_"Hywel, why are you getting out your wand?" his wife asked. "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't use any magic beyond what we cast before we came here."_

_Never taking his eyes off of the Inuyoukai, her husband answered, "This is the only way to get them to realize that we're on their side, Clari." Raising the newly-identified wand over his head, he intoned, "I, Hywel Lovegood, do so swear on my life and magic that everything I have and will say to the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands is the truth. So mote it be!"_

_Blinking at the sudden swirl of magic that surrounded the man, Satori was surprised and pleased to see that he had gone so far as to put his life on the line in order to assure she and her mate of his honesty. Glancing quickly at Tōga, she saw that he had raised an impressed brow at the display._

_After making the tip of his wand glow to prove that he still had his magic, the human placed it back in its original spot as he continued, "To answer your original question, in many of my visions about her—"_

_"Wait, _many_?" interrupted Tōga._

_Grinning, Hywel elaborated, "Yes. For the past several years now, the majority of what I Saw centered around a young female being and what I eventually discerned to be her adopted human brother, who has a soliwō rune on his brow which indicates that he has a great destiny as well. In fact, it was through helping him with his destiny that your daughter is able to reclaim what is rightfully hers._

_"The first time I ever Saw her, she was standing against a powerful army headed by a snake-like man who reeked of the Darkest magic imaginable. She stood with our old school behind her, her inhuman features in prominent display while another army was positioned behind her. At that time, I had no idea what she was, for she was unlike any other magical beings I had ever come across… it wasn't until several visions later that I finally had the word _youkai_ in connection to her."_

_"She was standing against an army?" Satori breathed. Meanwhile, Tōga couldn't help but beam with pride when he heard that his daughter would be following in similar footsteps to him._

_Nodding, Hwyel continued, "Yes. The fact that she was standing in front of our old school was how I was able to determine that she would be in our home country. However, she herself radiated a foreign energy… energy that was at least similar, if not identical to the energy that radiated from her two weapons. In her right hand, she held a wand that felt related, but not identical, whilst in her left she held a sword that seemed to be a part of her very being."_

_The two youkai parents glanced at each other, for the man's words about their daughter's sword could only mean one thing- Kie had performed the most powerful of youkai techniques and forged a blade made of nothing but her own youki… which could only be done when she was fully restored to her heritage. Tōga was obviously very impressed by this feat if the look in his eyes was any indication and rightly so, for even he with all of his power could never replicate such a feat._

_This, more than anything else Hwyel had said, gave the Lord and Lady of the West hope for their daughter._

_"Eventually, I was able to See how she was able to escape the spell placed on her- and what a nasty piece of work that spell is, I must say- and this by far was my most impressive vision. For you see, when your daughter was tossed down the well it was none other than your gods that saved her._

_"I'm not exactly sure _how_ they do this- and in all honesty it's probably for the best- but I do know that they shall adjust the seal that was placed on her in order to be able to break over time, thus allowing her natural energy to reintegrate safely. After I Saw this, I was able to guess that by the appearance of the wand in my first vision about her suggested to me that they shall give her magic as well, although whether it helps with the seal I do not know."_

_"My goodness," Satori breathed. The gods themselves had saved their daughter! Pride in her little girl swelled in her heart, for now it was proven that the Princess of the West lived up to her name._

_The Lord, however, had a different thought pop into his head. "What of her twin bond with Sesshomaru? Will that be affected?"_

_Sadly shaking his head, the Seer replied, "I do not know. I didn't see your son in any of my visions until after your daughter had fully reclaimed her powers, and he was a full-grown adult by then."_

* * *

><p>"Mother," interrupted Sesshomaru, "what is this twin bond that Father spoke of?"<p>

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Satori nonetheless replied, "No matter the species, it has been a proven fact that should two higher-level youkai be twinned they would be bonded in a way that very few understand. Just like with you and Kie, one twin is generally the powerhouse while the other is the one with the most control over their power. The bond between twins, however, would enable them to combine their respective abilities to create a team that very few can defeat… however, since this is such a rare occurrence very few know of it. You and your sister had displayed this several times, however once Kie was stolen you acted as if you had lost half of yourself, and took measures to seemingly regain the control she brought. Those measures had turned you into the cold-hearted youkai you had been before you allowed that human child to follow you around."

For several moments, the Lord of the West was silent. Then, "Do any known twins speak of how they felt the bond?" As his mother shook her head in answer, Sesshomaru was silent for several more moments. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was contemplating something, yet whatever it was it seemed he was determined to keep his thoughts to himself. Eventually, he nodded for her to continue the tale.

* * *

><p><em>"So, Clari dear, can you please repeat what I had just recited earlier?" requested Hywel. As his wife opened her mouth to obey, however, the Lord of the West stole the job from under her nose.<em>

_Satori couldn't help but smirk at the small huff that emanated from the human female. It was funny to see the woman become so offended over such a small thing…_

_When her mate finished his recital, the Seer closed his eyes and nodded in thought. Finally, he opened his eyes and stated, "Well, that was pretty straightforward for a prophecy. The clearest part, however, is when we can find your little girl."_

_"When would that be?" inquired Satori, taking her attention away from his wife._

_Looking at her, he answered, "There will come a day when a human girl will also travel through time." Gesturing towards the Well that had swallowed the Princess of the West, he continued, "Using this very well, she will more than likely go back and forth between her time and what she would consider the distant past. When she appears, you must wait 500 years before you can finally approach your daughter once more."_

_Looking sharply at this, Tōga demanded, "What do you mean, 'before we can approach her'?"_

_Suddenly looking sheepish, Hywel apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry but I forgot to mention this- the gods' work on your daughter's seal has one catch. Should your daughter learn of her heritage and the circumstances behind her becoming human before it is intended for her to learn it, everything will be undone and the seal will work as it was originally intended."_

_"WHAT?" roared out the two parents._

_Raising his hand in surrender, Hywel quickly interrupted the rapidly increasing tension by continuing, "That doesn't mean, however, that you can't work from the shadows to help her along!"_

_His more analytical mind enabling him to calm down faster than his mate, the Lord narrowed his eyes as he barked, "Explain!"_

_Slowly lowering his hands, Hywel obeyed. "In one of my visions, I managed to See a youkai with five fox tails teaching at Hogwarts during what I gathered to be her and her brother's worst year. This particular youkai managed to teach her various things without fully explaining why he was teaching her, and also helped protect her from the shadows against a lady that looked like a toad and yet was fully human. I got the sense that he was a member of the House of the West, although beyond that I couldn't tell."_

_Glancing at each other briefly, the two Inus marveled at the news. While Five-Tailed Kitsunes were uncommon, they were not unheard of… Satori was nonetheless pleased to hear that a normally solitary youkai of that power would eventually join the Pack of the West._

_Who else, after all, would they trust enough to watch over the Princess but a fellow Pack member?_

_Fully calmed down at this point, Satori looked at the foreign human couple as she asked, "What else can you tell us about Kie?"_

* * *

><p>"Hywel Lovegood then told your father and I everything else he could tell us about Kie's life," Satori explained. "One of those things was what became her inheritance from Tōga - just as he had left you Tenseiga and the hanyou Tessaiga, so too did he leave her a tool made of part of his being. Apparently, due to her heritage Kie could not use what he and Clarimonde called a 'traditional wand' that normal magic-wielding humans used. Instead, Clarimonde would have to create one specifically for our daughter using the skills of her family, which according to her had created these wands for almost as long as humans had started recording their history. In order to make this wand, however, she needed two things- a piece of wood that would help guide Kie's magic, and something she called a 'core' to help connect to it.<p>

"Your father, during the course of his career as General of the Western Army, had heard of a powerful magnolia youkai whose wood, if freely given, contained very unique properties."

"You mean Bokuseno," interrupted Sesshomaru, a light of realization beginning to dawn in his eye. Satori wasn't sure if her son realized just how much emotion he was showing, but then again he _was_ in a shielded room. Perhaps he (at the very least unconsciously) recognized that this was the safest place for him to let his guards down. Nonetheless, it was actually slightly fascinating to see her son show such emotion.

However, it wouldn't do for him to catch on to this fact, so the Lady of the West remained silent… on that matter, at least.

Other matters, however… Satori continued her tale as she responded, "The very same. Together, the four of us traveled to Bokuseno's forest, where we entreated with him to donate some of his wood. For several minutes I admit I thought he was going to refuse us, but then suddenly he agreed. His reason was that he had heard of Tōga's deeds and found him worthy… but I admit that I am not so sure he was telling the whole truth. Either way, he assured us that he would donate whatever Hywel's wife would need for our daughter's wand.

"However, one more thing was still needed- the wand's core. At first, none of us were sure where we would find such a thing. When I asked Clarimonde what was traditionally used, she replied that easily discarded parts of magical animals were the most commonly used. It was then that your father realized that he himself could give what was needed for the core. After all, while I was the stronger of the two of us when it came to youkai magics, he still had an aptitude for them. Add to that his sheer amount of youki, and the core should be strong enough for what Kie would need, even if it turned out the gods gave her a significant amount of magic.

"Upon hearing his suggestion with the reasons behind it, Clarimonde agreed that he would be the best donor for our daughter's core. In fact, she believed that due to the familial connection in the core the wand would respond to Kie with little to no effort on her part, and when her youki started to re-establish itself the youki that would remain in whatever Tōga donated would recognize it and still respond as well to her as it will when she first receives it. With a little discussion, it was eventually decided that he would donate a strand of hair from his two-legged form and a piece of claw from his true form."

Furrowing his brows slightly, Sesshomaru questioned, "Why his claw and hair, and not one of his fangs?"

"Because his fangs were- and still should be, in fact- so powerful that they could only be forged into blades," came the answer. "The only time he had tried to use a fang for something other than a blade was when he had tried to create my courting gift." As she stroked the necklace that she always wore around her neck, Satori continued, "He had thought that his youki would be able to create a powerful barrier around me and those I cared about should I ever be attacked when he wasn't around to protect me himself- not that it was ever necessary, but I admit it is quite a noble sentiment. However, according to him every time Totosai tried to add a fang to the unfinished necklace it would be destroyed in a spectacular way. Eventually, the two of them realized that it was the sheer amount of youki in his fangs that was the problem, and Tōga was forced to find an alternative- thus, learning that his claws worked much better for more delicate items."

Sensing that Sesshomaru was eager for this particular story to end, the Lady decided that the rest could be summarized rather than told. "Once Clarimonde collected what she needed from your Father, Bokuseno then gave her enough wood to create Kie's wand while warning that once the wand was created it would violently reject those who it did not belong to. After that, we all said our respective thanks, with both your father and I announcing that the Lovegoods were official Allies of the West for the valuable information they had passed on to us. Shortly after that, the two humans left for their own country, and I have been searching for the Girl Who Fell Backwards ever since."

Seeing her still stroking the necklace that contained the Meidō Stone, Sesshomaru's eyes widened with a realization greater than before. "You truly loved Father, didn't you?" he breathed, utter shock filling his voice.

Nodding, Satori clarified, "Yes, I still love your Father, and he- despite his affair with Izayoi- still loved me until the very end."

"What?!"

Realizing herself that her son was rightfully stunned by this revelation, Satori decided to elaborate on the full relationship she and her mate shared in order for him to finally understand why she seemed to never be bothered by what most Inu would see as unacceptable to even consider when mated. "For many years after Kie was stolen, your Father and I never even entertained the thought of having another pup. We were afraid at first of how you would take the separation from your twin, and then of course your training began, keeping us busy. When you were old enough to begin striking out on your own, however, Tōga began to yearn for another pup to care for. At first, I had thought that, too… but then when my next heat came, something in my heart reacted violently against becoming pregnant. After several tries, I eventually gave up the idea of bearing another pup. Part of me was afraid that any other pup I may have would be kidnapped again, and I think another part of me just couldn't bear to try and replace my little girl.

"Tōga, however, was starting to become desperate for another pup. Finally, I could bear his pain no more, and chose to go against every instinct I had in order to give him his happiness. However, I would _not_ allow any threat to your inheritance. Eventually, we reached an agreement- I would allow him to find another female to sire only one other pup, and in order to prevent my instincts from forcing me to kill that pup I would move to this palace. In return, I would choose what that pup inherited, and I had the sole right to either accept or deny its status within the House of the West, unless you chose otherwise. I had thought that he would, at least, choose to breed with an Inu female, or at least a youkai of decent power. Imagine my surprise, however, when he chose a human female instead."

Remaining silent for several moments to gather her thoughts on the scandal, Satori eventually admitted, "To be frank, if Izayoi had been a miko or another human with power I don't think I would've minded as much, but to me she was nothing more than a pretty face. I had thought that her weakness would overpower your father's strength in the future pup, and would be a burden on the West. When I had heard of the successful conception, with these thoughts in mind I chose to reject Izayoi and her pup from the Pack.

"During Izayoi's pregnancy your father and I rarely saw each other. In fact, the day he gave me the Meidō Stone to use when you needed it was the last time I ever saw him alive… and despite the sadness I sensed in him from our separation, I also sensed his excitement over his unborn hanyou pup and his worry over how his powerful youkai blood could conflict with Izayoi's powerless human blood. It was in that moment that I finally chose what that pup would inherit should something happen to Tōga. I told Tōga that the Robe of the Fire Rat and Tessaiga would be the hanyou's inheritance. After all, the Robe (which had been sitting around in this very palace for many years unused) would give the pup limited protection, and I could ensure that Tessaiga, in addition of being an extra tool to help his continued survival, would control his youkai blood enough to allow him to keep his mind."

"You mean _you_ were the one to place that infernal barrier around the fang?" Sesshomaru half-mumbled, obviously thinking of his repeated failed attempts to gain Inuyasha's inheritance.

Giving him a stern look, Satori retorted, "Yes, and I was alerted every time you tried to take what wasn't yours. I decided that the barrier would be a great reminder of a lesson that I _know_ I taught you (yet you seem to disregard every time it's convenient for you) and allowed it to burn you every time you tried to grasp it."

While most would've submitted instantly at the Lady's look, Sesshomaru merely blinked in response.

Suddenly, a dawn of realization and oddly enough _hope_ filled his eyes. "Mother, what was the defining characteristic of the Girl Who Fell Backwards?"

Looking sharply at her son, Satori replied, "She is a human girl who uses the Bone Eater's Well to travel back and forth in time."

"The Bone Eater's Well… it is near the village of Edo, correct?"

"What are you getting at, Sesshomaru?"

As he walked towards the door, Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder back at his mother. "Rin has told me about how Inuyasha's miko returned from wherever she had previously called home. If what she says is correct, and from what I have heard about the girl during the hunt for Naraku… then Inuyasha's miko is almost certainly the Girl Who Fell Backwards."

Gasping at this bit of news, Satori felt the hope that had started to wane rise once more. "Are you sure, my son?"

"There's only one way to find out," Sesshomaru replied. "We must go to Edo at once."

* * *

><p>AN: OH. MY. GAWD. So much freaking necessary exposition... So yeah, this is a plot bunny that has hijacked my muses into creating NINE stories plus (at least) one sequel to the series. Seriously, I've tried working on some of my other multichapters, and I can only pick at them.

So anyway, just to be helpful- even though they won't make another appearance in THIS story, you'll want to keep the OC characters Hywel Lovegood and Masashi in mind. Just saying~! Although, if you also follow me on dA and read the excerpt from 'The Western Daughter and the Order of the Phoenix', then you'll know how they fit in the story.

And yes, Clarimonde's maiden name is Ollivander. It may be a hand-wave, but hey why NOT have two of the most insightful families be connected at some point?


	2. Chapter 2

*I don't own InuYasha, Harry Potter, or any of their characters

NOTE- Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter BEFORE you review!

* * *

><p>The babe cried as she fell in the darkness. It hurt so much! Where was milk-giver mother? Where was Alpha-pack father? Where was litter-mate brother? Somebody, make the pain STOP!<p>

Suddenly, something strange happened. As she abruptly stopped falling, the little one felt a hand on her forehead. It felt so good! It made some of the pain go away! Hurriedly, she leaned into the touch to get more of the pain taken away. She couldn't help but whimper as well, letting the one who was helping her know that she appreciated the release of pain as well as pleading for more of that touch that just felt _so_ good.

"Hush, little pup," someone soothed. Hearing the sheer amount of _power_ in that voice, the babe shook slightly with fear. She didn't know this voice, this being had power, this person could _kill her_!

The hand that was on her forehead rubbed back and forth in a way that felt _so_ good as the voice once again said gently, "Shh…" Inexplicably feeling safer, the little one calmed. She didn't know why, but she began to feel that she was and would always be safe with this person.

Who was this being? Curious about this fact, the babe tried to open her eyes to see who this kind person was.

"No, no, no, we can't have you going blind little one," the being chided amusingly as the hand that was on the babe's forehead immediately moved down to cover her eyes.

Suddenly, another being chuckled as a male voice added, "She's even more curious than we originally thought, sister!" Upon this, more beings began to laugh good-naturedly.

"Hush now, you're scaring her," the original being reprimanded as the babe once again tensed with fear. There were _more_ of these powerful beings? Were they like the one who had taken away the pain, or were they like that person who had said those scary words that caused the pain?

Another hand was soon placed on her head, and resumed the rubbing that had been interrupted when she had tried to see what was happening. Soon enough, the little one settled down once more.

"Now, little pup, We need to adjust the spell that was placed on you," said the owner of those _wonderful_ hands. "This will feel strange, but the feeling shall pass momentarily."

Confused, the babe whined questioningly. What was going to happen?

Suddenly, the part of her that walked around on four legs instead of two, the part that had been with the babe for as long as she could remember, the part that had been whining in pain along with her, was suddenly growing quieter and quieter. NO! Why was it doing that?! It needed to be with her!

"I know, I know," the being once again soothed as the little girl began to thrash around in complaint. "Your inner beast needs to be put to sleep temporarily so that she doesn't kill you during her attempts to break the seal before you are ready, little pup. When you are older and need her strength, she'll wake up again."

Even though she didn't fully understand what the being meant, the babe calmed when she sensed from the being that her four leg part wouldn't be harmed.

"Good girl," the being praised. "Now, for the tasks that We have saved you for, We give you magic willingly given by a girl from the country We shall soon send you to."

Marveling at the strange feeling that was now coursing through her, the babe couldn't help but giggle with delight. It felt so strangely good!

Laughing with her, the owner of the hands that were still covering her eyes and rubbing her head then stated, "And now, to change your appearance in order to help you blend in until you grow into who you are meant to be."

Although the babe couldn't see or feel this, her white hair began to darken to a more silvery-blond while her beautiful golden eyes changed into an equally beautiful golden hazel. Meanwhile, her tiny claws were changed into tiny fingernails, her pointed ears rounded out, and the canine teeth still hiding within her gums shortened to an acceptable human length. As these changes took place, the little girl shrank as her body was de-aged to better adapt to everything that was now different from what she had been before she had fallen.

When the being was finished, the babe appeared to be nothing more than a three month-old human.

"There, little one," the being said when she was finished. The hand that had been rubbing her head suddenly cupped her cheek as the being sadly finished, "You will be beaten, you will be degraded, you will go through several identity struggles, you will suffer through many other hardships, but you _will_ survive. You shall gain a new family, and you shall help your new family survive what is to come. But most of all, little Kie, even if you do not remember any of this, know that you have and will always be _loved_."

The babe's brows furrowed at this. What did the being mean by that?

Suddenly, she felt herself falling again. As she did so, the hands that had provided such comfort began to disappear from her skin. No, no, no, NO! She liked this being, she wanted to know more about her, she wanted to STAY!

"Until you are needed, little Princess," the being promised, her voice fading away.

As she whimpered to go back, suddenly the babe felt herself cradled in a pair of arms.

Hearing a gentle female voice speak a language she didn't know, her curious nature took over. Opening her eyes, the babe looked up and saw the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen in her short life.

* * *

><p>As the morning dawned nice and bright, the two lumps that had been snuggled together underneath the down comforter began to stir. The larger of the two eventually sat up to reveal a man with unruly black hair and sleep-filled hazel eyes. Stretching his arms over his head for a moment, his left one came crashing down onto the nearby nightstand. After several failures, eventually a pair of circular-framed glasses were grasped.<p>

Placing them on his face, the man absently ran a hand through his hair as he looked towards the other lump on the bed. With a fond smile, he gently pulled back the cover as he softly greeted, "Morning, Lily love."

The newly revealed red-haired woman moaned in protest at the light that was now piercing through her closed lids. Eventually, green eyes appeared from behind them. Focusing on the man, Lily replied with a sleepy tone, "Good morning, James."

Leaning down, James kissed his wife's brow as he murmured, "Happy Birthday."

Beaming at this, Lily reached up and kissed her husband's lips gently. When they finally separated, she whispered, "Thank you, darling."

"And how's our little surprise?" James then inquired as he placed a hand over Lily's stomach.

"It seems that the baby wants to give me a birthday present by allowing me to _not_ have to rush to the loo," Lily stated after several moments of glancing down towards her unborn child. Placing her hand over her husband's, she looked up as she asked, "Are you excited to break the news?"

James grinned as he admitted, "Am I ever! I just can't wait to see the looks on Padfoot's and Moony's faces when they find out that there's going to be a Prongslet."

"James, for all we know the baby could be a girl," Lily responded flatly.

Sheepishly rubbing his hand through his hair, James tried to placate his wife. "You're right, dear- the baby could be either a Prongslet or a little, um… what was the name of that muggle movie you showed me? The one about the deer?"

"Bambi?" Lily offered.

Snapping his fingers then pointing them at her, James exclaimed, "That's it! The baby could be either a Prongslet or a Bambi!"

"James."

"What?"

"…Bambi was a _male_ deer."

"…Oh, yeah."

The expectant mother then did what any sane person would've done in that situation- she slapped a palm to her face.

* * *

><p>The party was turning out to be a success, Lily mused as she observed all of the guests.<p>

While some people of the Order couldn't make it, like Aberforth and several of the older members, the rest were now scattered throughout the first floor. Professor Dumbledore (or Albus, as he kept trying to get the younger members to call him) was seated on the couch talking to Alastor Moody, who took a swig out of his iconic hip-flask every so often. James, meanwhile, was once again hanging out with the rest of the Marauders. Even Peter, who normally didn't come to anything except official Order meetings anymore, was there. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but Lily figured that it was due to him not being used to this sort of thing. Minerva McGonagall was speaking with several other older members, while the Longbottoms were having an animated conversation with the McKinnons. Lily stifled a giggle as once again Molly (who had come alone, since she and Arthur couldn't find a baby-sitter they felt would be able to handle the already mischievous Fred and George in time) prevented her brothers from spiking the non-alcoholic punch-bowl, still looking intimidating even though she was incredibly pregnant with her and Arthur's sixth child.

She felt a brief stab of regret that not _all_ of her friends could be here, but she knew that should the one person that couldn't make it actually be here it would cause all sorts of problems… and not just from the Order. After all, the marriage contract her friend had agreed to was iron-clad- they were lucky that she would be able to come over tomorrow for a private celebration between the two of them.

Discreetly checking her watch, she noticed that it was finally time to announce the big news. Grabbing a nearby spoon, she gently tapped her water goblet.

"Attention, everyone! May I have your attention, please?" she called out. When everyone looked her way, she stopped tapping and set the spoon back down. James, after discreetly checking his own watch, began to make his way towards her.

In order to buy him a little time, Lily began to speak. "First of all, I want to thank everyone for being here today. You don't know how much it means to me for all of you to make it here to my birthday party." As several people good-naturedly interrupted with a chorus of various well-wishes (with the loudest belonging to Sirius), she couldn't help but laugh a little. Feeling James finally standing next to her, she continued, "However, that is not the only reason I have called for your attention. I have called your attention because James and I have some great news to share with all of you." Sharing an excited glance with James, she announced, "I have recently visited St. Mungo's to verify a suspicion I had, and it was confirmed- we're having a baby!"

A veritable chorus of cheers, whoops, and clapping erupted after she spoke those words. James burst out in laughter when he noticed the happily stunned looks on his fellow Marauders' faces.

Before anyone could get close to the happy couple to give them hugs and handshakes, however, suddenly a great light bloomed in between them and the rest of the guests. As several cries of alarm rang out, Lily had the strangest urge overtake her. Holding her arms out as if to cradle one of Molly's children, she gasped as she felt a weight suddenly and gently establish itself. Once she had a firm grasp on it, the light disappeared as quickly as it came.

Lily was stunned to see what the light revealed. There, cradled in her arms, was a naked silvery-blonde baby girl.

As the stunned silence of the party-goers reigned supreme, the expecting mother heard the little one in her arms whimpering softly as her eyes were squeezed shut. The sound breaking her heart, she cradled the baby closer as she soothed, "Shush baby girl, it's okay, you're safe now."

At the sound of her voice, the little one stopped whimpering. Opening her closed eyes, the girl curiously met Lily's eyes with beautiful hazel ones.

Lily Potter fell in love.

"Lily…?" breathed James, finally finding his voice.

As she glanced up at her husband, Lily pled with her eyes as she held up the little girl for him. "James, look at her," she responded softly, affection filling her voice.

As the expectant father looked upon her, the baby also looked towards him. Suddenly she cooed and smiled. As James at first looked startled then fondly smiled back, Lily knew that like her, James had become attached to this beautiful girl.

Suddenly, they were reminded of their guests as Sirius burst out, "Bloody hell, Lily, when you said you were having a baby you weren't kidding!"

* * *

><p>Albus Percvial Wulfric Brian Dumbledore had stared in shock along with the rest of the guests when the strange light had seemingly dropped off a baby, but his mind began to function once more when Lily showed James what was apparently a little girl.<p>

Everyone else, meanwhile, shook out of their own shocked silences at Sirius' outburst.

"Oh, look at the precious little one!" cooed Molly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. As many of the women in the room agreed with her, the vast majority of the men were beginning to wonder as to who the baby was and where it came from.

The next several minutes might've gone the same way if Alastor hadn't suddenly doused a bucket of cold reality on them.

"Don't get attached to the baby, Potter!" he growled out, "For all we know, this is a transfigured Dark artifact that came from You-Know-Who himself!"

Several incredulous looks were leveled towards the veteran Auror at that.

"Er… somehow, Moody, I just don't think that using a _baby_ is You-Know-Who's style," commented Fabian.

Gideon added, "Yeah, if it was an animal then I'd be more suspicious, but a _baby_?"

"And that's just what he'd _want_ you to think!" Moody all but roared, "That's why we must always use constant vigilance!"

Upon hearing Moody's shout, the object of discussion began to fuss. As Lily once again soothed the baby, Molly glared over at the offender. "Even if it _is_ a trap, that gives you no reason to shout," she reprimanded, "After all, what if causing the little one to cry was the very thing to set it off?"

Before a full scale argument could break out, Albus decided to take matters into hand. Standing up, he waited until everyone's eyes were on him before he continued, "Lily, would you mind handing me the babe?"

Looking extremely reluctant to do so, Lily nonetheless handed the little one over. As he cradled her in one arm, Albus studied the new arrival.

She really was a cute one, he couldn't help but notice as she stared curiously up at him. However, that didn't last long as she discovered a marvelous new toy.

"Oof!" he exclaimed quietly as she tugged on a bit of his beard. Upon hearing that, the baby started laughing with delight. As he and several others chuckled along with her, Albus could feel deep in his bones that this wasn't a trick of Tom's. For one thing, he couldn't feel any trace of Tom's magic on her. Nor could he, with his mastery of Transfiguration, feel any telltale sign of the distinct magic that more often than not is attached to a Transfigured item.

That left the question, however, of who this child was and where she came from.

Knowing that the power of the Elder Wand would be able to break through most enchantments obscuring identity, he pulled it out of his sleeve and silently cast the necessary spells that would reveal the baby's name, parentage, and medical history.

He stared in shock at the results.

While the basic result of the family-revealing spell was what one would expect, where there would ordinarily be names were instead various characters that seemed to hint towards Japanese origin. However, they were so archaic that even he couldn't translate them. The medical history, meanwhile, came up entirely positive except for a mention that a part of the babe seemed to be sealed away. Albus suspected that if any other wand was used that note would not even be mentioned, nor would the strange characters have appeared.

Which meant that whoever sent the babe here was so strong that even the Elder Wand, which was supposedly created by Death himself, couldn't completely break through their enchantments.

Reeling at the possibilities, Dumbledore realized that the little girl in his arms was sent to Lily for a reason. What that reason was, he didn't know… however, he was reasonably sure that for the most part the babe was as she appeared to be.

Putting the wand away, he announced, "She is definitely _not_ a trap from Voldemort." Ignoring the flinch of several party goers with ease, he continued, "However, I wasn't able to determine who she is or where she came from. For all intents and purposes, it seems this child is all alone."

Gently untangling the little girl's hands from his beard, he then handed her over to Lily as he finished, "It is of my opinion that she was sent to you for a reason, Lily. What that reason is, I don't know, however I feel that it's prudent that we follow the wishes of the unknown being—"

"Being?" interrupted James.

Nodding once, Albus clarified, "Yes, _being_. Can you think of anyone else who would not only use a transport spell that was powerful enough to go through all of our wards, but also obscure the family reveal spell enough that even I can't read it?"

As he spoke, unknown to him the little girl in question kept reaching for the bit of beard that had been taken away from her. The longer the adults talked, the more frustrated she seemed to get.

Suddenly, a pulse of magic was felt, and then a happy gurgle was heard. Everyone looked towards the source to see that the babe had somehow managed to Summon the end of Albus' beard, and was now happily playing with it once more.

While everyone else laughed at this bit of accidental magic, the owner of the beard stared with shock at the one who wielded it. It had been almost one hundred years since he had felt that distinctive magical signature… one he'd never thought he'd feel again.

"Albus? Is there something wrong?" Minerva inquired when she noticed his preoccupation. Upon hearing this, others turned towards the man who had influenced so many of them into the people they were today.

Tears threatening to appear in his eyes, Albus stared at the babe. "Ariana?" he breathed.

* * *

><p>James was surprised to see the sheen covering his mentor's eyes. Albus Dumbledore had always seemed to be the type of person who would either be smiling with twinkling eyes at you, or fiercely protecting you from enemies that you couldn't handle alone. Never in a hundred years would the eldest living Potter have thought that he would see the powerful man staring in shock with a sheen in his eyes that hinted at actual <em>tears<em>.

"Sir?" he tentatively questioned, not wanting the tears that were threatening to fall to actually fulfill that threat.

Shaking his head slightly, the Leader of the Light seemingly managed to pull himself together once more. Eyes once again twinkling merrily, he answered, "I apologize… it's just that the child's magic felt similar to the magic that had belonged to someone I knew a long time ago."

"Who, Albus?" inquired Moony.

For several long moments, it looked like the wise old man would refuse to answer. Finally, however, he managed to reply, "Her name was Ariana."

"Ariana…" Lily trailed off, glancing towards the little girl (who was _still_ playing with Dumbledore's beard, and soaking it in quite a bit of drool) in her arms.

Glancing towards his wife, James noticed that she had a speculative look in her eyes. "Lily?"

Looking back towards him, Lily's beautiful green eyes were filled with a hopeful question. Sensing that she wanted to speak somewhat privately, James quickly pulled his wand out and cast the always trusty _Muffliato_. Once the spell was in place, James turned back towards his wife.

"James… what do you think of all this?" Lily began.

Knowing what his wife was leading up to, James studied the little girl in question. As if sensing his scrutiny, the baby paused in her play and looked back towards him. For several seconds, hazel eyes stared into hazel eyes. Finally, it seemed that the owner of the younger pair came to a decision. Giggling, she reached out a hand towards him.

Smiling back, he offered one of his fingers. When her tiny hand clasped around it, James knew then and there that this little girl would be a welcome addition to his growing family.

"I think this little one would make a wonderful big sister to our own bundle of joy," he eventually responded, looking back towards his wife. Remembering the lessons that his mother had drilled into him about various archaic Rites, he recalled one of them that would be perfect for this. "Would you mind if I used the Adoption Rite to officially add her to the Potter line?"

Beaming, Lily shook her head then asked, "What do you think of naming her Ariana, then?"

"Ariana? Whatever happened to, 'My firstborn girl shall be called Rose'?" James couldn't help but tease, quoting what he had remembered her saying when he had (purposefully) stumbled upon her and Marlene McKinnon chatting in the Library during sixth year.

Laughing lightly at that reminder, Lily teased back, "Why, James, to think that you remembered that after all of these years!" As James unashamedly smiled back, she fondly shook her head as she answered his question. "While I still say that Rose is a good name, for some odd reason I feel like Ariana fits her much better."

"Well, why don't we use Rose as her middle name, then?" James offered.

As the two parents looked back towards the newest member of their family, Lily tested the name out. "Ariana Rose Potter… what do you think of that, sweetheart?"

Smiling her biggest smile yet, the baby finally dropped her bit of beard and reached towards Lily. When Lily mirrored her husband's actions, the little girl brought their fingers together as she looked between her new parents.

"Well, I'd say she approves," James laughed. As Lily laughed with him, he couldn't help but feel that this was the start of a wonderful adventure.

Suddenly, he realized something. "Wait, shouldn't we ask Dumbledore if we could name her after his friend?"

Blinking with surprise, Lily slowly replied, "I don't think he'll mind… but let's ask anyway. Do you want to do it, or should I?"

"I'll do it," James answered after a brief moment. Once he cancelled the _Muffliato_ spell, together the new family faced their guests.

Glancing towards his former Headmaster, James inquired, "Sir, would you mind terribly if we named our newest daughter after your old friend?"

Blinking with surprise, it took several moments for Dumbledore to respond. "No, I don't mind at all," he agreed, his voice thickening slightly with emotion.

Smiling, James then turned towards his wife. As she held the baby up high, he began the Rite that he never thought he would ever use. "We, James Charlus Potter and Lily Iris Potter nee Evans, wish to invoke the Rite of Adoption. We hereby proclaim our desire to adopt this girl child as our own, and wish to add her to our family line. Does anyone deny our claim?"

"We see no reason to deny you, thus we accept your claim," came the ritual response from the older members as Magic filled the room. Many of the younger members were surprised by the proceedings, for it was rare nowadays for people to use ancient Rites. More often than not, the goblins would take care of any adoptions. However, the Adoption Rite had one benefit that the goblins did not have- should the Rite be successful, then the adopted child would be able to use magics normally reserved for the blood members of the Family (which, in James' case, meant that there was a significant chance that their new daughter would gain an affinity for Defensive and/or Battle Magics).

And with he and Lily having faced off against the Dark Lord himself twice now, their new little girl needed all the protection she could get.

"Magic, hear our plea!" James intoned, having gotten the correct response to continue the Rite. "Together, we, James Charlus Potter and Lily Iris Potter nee Evans, would like to induct this girl child into the Potter family, and name her Ariana Rose Potter. Will you please grant our wish?"

The magic swirled around for several moments, as if thinking upon the decision. Then, James felt a distinct _tug_ on his magic, and watched as a strand of light emitted from his chest. Beside him, Lily gasped and then looked down as a similar strand of light emitted from her chest while unconsciously bringing the babe back down to a comfortable level. Internally, James breathed a sigh of relief, for those lights meant that the Rite was successful. He watched as the two strands met above the babe's head and intertwined until you couldn't distinguish one from the other.

Meanwhile, the babe's own magic began to illuminate from underneath her skin. Once her magic was the same level of brightness as the magic swirling above her, a small portion of it seemed to travel to the top of her head. At this point, James was curious as to how the baby's magic would welcome the family magic, for at this point in the Rite it was unique for every individual (at least, according to his mother anyway).

He never expected a hexagon containing a cherry blossom to form above her head. As Lily and he (and several other members of the party, if their ooh's and ahh's were any indication) marveled at this simple but beautiful design, the family magic rushed into the center of the blossom, as if pollinating it. When all of the family magic had done so, the flower folded into a closed position one petal at a time. Meanwhile, the hexagon surrounding it shrank until it was absorbed into the now closed bud. Once it had done so, the bud sank back into the little girl.

For several seconds, the baby continued to glow as the two magics finished combining. Finally, however, the glow diminished, signifying the end of Magic's involvement.

All that was left now was the final part of the Rite.

As he gestured for Lily to raise the baby above her head, James announced, "Witnesses, gather around! I introduce to you the newest member of the Potter family, Ariana Rose Potter!"

Cheering filled the room. When it began to die down, Padfoot barked out with a laugh, "Now, will someone _please_ give that poor girl some clothes?"

* * *

><p>AN- Okay, before ANYONE gives me flak about giving lil' Ariana the original Ariana's magic, HEAR ME OUT.

In this universe, I'm using the idea that each region of the world's magical population, while able to use a variety of similar spells, will actually have different ways of casting magic. For example, the European and American witches and wizards will rely heavily on wands (with the Native Americans using their shaman spells), the Asian magical population will use seals, sutras, and other stuff relating to their culture, and so on and so forth. So, since lil' Ariana's going over to Great Britain, she's going to need European magic. However, since the gods that are interfering are _not_ European, they can't exactly give out European magic. Hence, the donation of the original Ariana's magic. To me, it seems like something the original Ariana would do, anyway. Plus, there's always the bonus of drama with the Dumbledores!

Now yes, having baby Kie's POV was inspired by Alfie Owens aka Stormaggedon, Dark Lord of All (even though she's much nicer than he is). Kudos to those who know where that awesome baby (seriously, Voodletort ain't got _nothing_ on this kid) comes from! And yes, Gods speak Baby.

Let's see, what else... yes, I know the Rite sucks, however I wrote that at 3 am, so please cut me a _little_ slack. And yes, the cherry blossom in the hexagon was inspired by Sesshomaru's crest on his clothes... originally the plan was to use all three flowers, however I felt that just didn't make much sense (and it works, seeing as how technically Kie/Ariana _is_ weaker than her brother). Any other problems you see, feel free to ask me about them! I'll try to answer why I went a certain direction or whatever, and if I can't then shame on me.


	3. Chapter 3

*I don't own Harry Potter, InuYasha, or any of their characters.

* * *

><p>"Lily, are you <em>sure<em> you'll be fine on your own?"

Refraining from rolling her eyes at her worrywart husband, Lily fed their new daughter with a bottle (which, along with diapers and other necessities for the daily care of babies, Molly had lent them until they could get the necessary supplies for Ariana) as she replied, "Of _course_ I'll be fine, James. It's not like we haven't been alone together before, you know."

"Yeah, I know," James admitted as he ran a hand through his hair, "But considering who she's married to…"

"And you _know_ that he wasn't her choice," she interrupted, "But rather her father's."

"But she _does_ believe in blood-purity!"

Not restraining her eye-roll this time, she corrected, "No, _she_ believes that ancient holidays like Yule and Samhain shouldn't be replaced by muggle holidays like Christmas and Halloween. She _also_ believes that Muggleborns shouldn't go and try to change traditions that have been around for hundreds of years just because they think they know better, or that just because the word 'sacrifice' is involved that a tradition is automatically labeled 'Dark' even though the sacrifice may just be an inanimate object or even a simple bit of fruit." As James opened his mouth once again to object, she cut him off by adding, "We've had this argument numerous times, so let's just agree to disagree, alright?"

As he exhaled with a sigh, James looked at his pregnant wife and new daughter. After a few moments, during which Ariana finished her bottle, he conceded, "Alright. Promise me, though, that you'll contact me at the first sign of trouble?"

Smiling at this show of support, Lily agreed while shifting her daughter into burping position, "I will, James." Standing up, she walked over and pecked him on the cheek while patting Ariana's back. "You're such a good husband… and you'll be a good father, too." Her smile turning into a grin, she added, "Especially if you continue on with what you did last night."

Grinning back, James gave his wife a kiss. "Well, you were tired from the party preparations, and from Ari's sudden arrival… plus, I got some alone time with my new baby girl."

"Oh, you're just _dying_ to turn her into a Daddy's Girl, aren't you?" Lily teased. As James unashamedly nodded, said girl gave off a loud burp.

Gently placing a hand on his daughter's head, James chuckled as he rubbed it and proudly said, "That's my girl." Kissing his wife once more, he then removed his hand and positioned himself to place a kiss on his daughter's forehead. As he did so, Ariana cooed happily, obviously enjoying the attention.

Stepping away, Lily watched as James walked over to the kitchen fireplace, lit it, and tossed a pinch of Floo Powder into it. "Diagon Alley!" he called out as he stepped into it.

As he whooshed away, Lily placed Ariana into the nearby bassinet (that, while functional, was very plain- having been transfigured by James from a toilet paper roll- hence why a new one was on the list) and tidied up a bit while waiting for her friend to arrive. Flicking her wand multiple times, soon many of the more tedious chores were either done or taking care of themselves.

"Of course, when you and your new sibling are old enough I'll have you take care of some of them to learn some responsibility, unlike your father in his early years," Lily assured her daughter, "but for now magic can take care of the chores."

Ariana gurgled in what Lily took to be agreement as she waved her arms.

Unable to resist, the new mother began to play with her daughter. Creating harmless sparks out of her wand, she charmed them to circle slowly around the bassinet, as if they were a mobile without any strings. As Ariana looked with obvious wonder and delight, she then had them slowly change color. This earned her a delighted giggle, which made a huge smile appear on her own face.

"You're such a happy baby, Ari… I wonder what happened to your birth parents," Lily couldn't help but wonder aloud.

Seemingly in answer, the fireplace in the living room erupted with the tell-tale signs of the Floo being used. Lily rushed over to meet her friend, who was elegantly brushing the soot off of her elegant robes.

When Lily came into view, the newcomer smiled warmly. "Lily," she greeted, giving the Lady Potter a small curtsey of equals, "It's so nice to see you."

"Narcissa," Lily greeted back, curtseying back to the Lady Malfoy like she had been taught. "I'm so glad you were able to make it!" Once she finished her curtsey, Lily then rushed over to hug her friend. As Narcissa hugged back as warmly as she could (given her upbringing), the younger of the two excitedly commented, "I can't wait to show you one of the gifts I received yesterday!"

"Hmm…" As they separated, Narcissa mimed thinking deeply. "Did you get… a new cauldron?"

"Well, yes… but that's not the gift I'm talking about."

Raising her eyebrows with intrigue, Narcissa guessed, "Is it… a rare book on Charms?"

Grinning, Lily replied, "Better." Before her friend could guess again, she added, "Come on, I'll show you."

As she followed Lily, the new mother could almost _feel_ the curious look Narcissa shot at her back. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps stopped.

"Lily, are you babysitting again?" Narcissa asked, staring at the new addition to the kitchen.

Smiling, Lily walked over to the bassinet and gently picked up Ariana as she answered, "Nope." Turning, she presented her new baby that was now cradled in her arms as she announced, "Narcissa, meet the newest member of the Potter family."

Oh, it was _priceless_ to see the gobsmacked look on her friend's face. Lily almost wished that she didn't have Ariana in her arms so that she could've had a camera for this rare moment.

"You… when did you have a daughter?" Narcissa finally managed to ask after several attempts.

While Ariana curiously looked at the Slytherin, Lily grinned as she answered, "Yesterday as James and I were announcing that there's another little one about to make its arrival in about six months."

Performing one of the most graceful double-takes Lily had ever seen, Narcissa was obviously speechless. "How?" she managed to finally say.

"Well, when a man and a woman desire each other very much…"

"Lily!"

Snickering even as Narcissa looked ready to hex her, Lily eventually broke down and described the events of the previous day.

"After Sirius' outburst, Molly handed over some of the diapers that she always keeps on hand, and I had James transfigure one of the shirts that I don't wear all that much anymore into this onesie and a toilet paper roll into a bassinet so that Ariana could have someplace to sleep. Once we had done that, we all tried to figure out just how old Ari is."

The baby in question suddenly wailed, and it was soon obvious to her mother that her daughter had apparently decided that the current point in her story was a great one to go pee in. Luckily thanks to having to watch baby Fred and baby George numerous times Lily had taken up the habit of storing at least one diaper and other necessary supplies in every room that was commonly used.

Changing the diaper with an ease that came from helping Molly with all of her little ones, Lily continued her story, "We eventually figured out that she must've been born during Samhain, so James and I decided to consider October 31st her official birthday."

"She's a Samhain child? Auspicious, considering that many children born on Samhain are known to possess a sense of understanding and an unusual inner strength," Narcissa commented as she glanced down towards the now clean baby.

Picking Ariana back up again, Lily inquired, "Really? I don't remember you telling me about that from any of my previous lessons on Wizarding Culture…"

"I was actually planning on covering that today," the adult blonde admitted, "since I also had some news to share with you as well."

Whatever one would say about Lily Potter, even Voldemort himself would never say that she was stupid (at least, if his two previous offers for her to join him despite her blood status were any indication). Putting two and two together, she blurted out, "You're pregnant?!"

Nodding as a large (well, large for her) smile appeared, Narcissa confirmed, "Yes, I'm about four months along, according to my Healer."

"Oh, that's wonderful! So, your little one will probably arrive in early June, then?"

"That's what we're guessing."

If she didn't have Ariana in her hands, Lily would've undoubtedly clapped with joy as she exclaimed, "That's even better, we're thinking that my next little bundle of joy will be born either late July or early August! And since Ari's birthday falls after September first, all of our children will be yearmates!"

Chuckling, Narcissa commented, "Let me guess- big sister Ariana will keep an eye on the other two?"

"Of course, won't you Ari?" Lily cooed to her daughter. Narcissa couldn't help but melt a little when Ariana cooed back. Seeing this, Lily offered, "Would you like to hold her?"

Blinking with surprise at the trust the new mother showed her, the Lady Malfoy wordlessly nodded. As Ariana was gently transferred into her arms, her hazel eyes once again stared curiously at the one who held her.

"Hello, little one," Narcissa said softly as a smile grew on her face. Due to the lack of children in many families, it was an unspoken fact that all purebloods shared a weakness for babies. Even the Death Eaters refused to tolerate any unnecessary harm towards them, and if they were forced to kill a family that had any infants they would ensure that the youngest ones died with a painless Killing Curse. Once a child had become old enough to speak in coherent sentences, however, then depending on the Death Eater all bets were off (and sadly, Narcissa's own sister was a part of this camp, choosing to take her rage at being unable to have any children of her own out on those who belonged to others).

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Lily smiled at the sight of Narcissa, who in school had been known as the very epitome of pureblood princess (to the point where she was in the running for the title of 'Ice Queen of Slytherin'- only Viola Montague had managed to edge her out of the title, and the now Lady Greengrass was still as cold as ever, if occasional glances during trips to Diagon Alley were any indication), growing soft over a cute baby. Quickly and wordlessly summoning her camera, she quickly took a picture of the adorable sight.

"I better get a copy of that photo, or else there _will_ be consequences," Narcissa warned, showing her hidden sense of humor by using a very exaggerated version of her husband's drawl.

Giggling, Lily performed an exaggerated curtsey as she replied, "Yes, my Lady."

Narcissa shook her head and chuckled at her friend's antics. Ariana, meanwhile, simply looked back and forth between the two women with obvious content in her eyes.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, as Ariana was taking a nap in the bassinet, Lily was finishing up her current lesson on Wizarding customs.<p>

"There," Narcissa stated, satisfaction filling her voice, "now you know enough about our customs concerning children in order to pass inspection at one of our Balls."

Smiling with relief and not a small amount of mischief, Lily couldn't help but respond, "Even if I'll more than likely never go to one for quite some time."

The Lady Malfoy promptly swatted the Lady Potter lightly with a hastily conjured fan. They stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing.

When the laughter died down, Lily's face turned serious as she looked towards her friend. "Narcissa… there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

Hesitating for a moment, unsure of how her friend would respond to this request, Lily asked, "Would you be Ariana's godmother?"

"_What_?" breathed out a surprised Narcissa.

Taking a bracing breath, Lily explained, "When we first found out I was pregnant, one of the things James and I agreed to early on is that I would choose our children's godmothers while he would choose their godfathers. He already has Sirius in mind for our unborn child, and I had thought that Marlene would be a good choice for godmother. With Ariana arriving so suddenly, however, we haven't had a chance to decide yet who would be her godparents. Knowing James, he'll probably pick Peter only because Remus can't be by law… after all, they're the Marauders, so of course they'll all try be the godfathers of each other's children."

"Even if they're not the best choice for that amount of responsibility," Narcissa commented, thinking of Pettigrew. She would be _extremely_ surprised if the coward actually found someone willing to bear his children.

With a wry smile at Narcissa's comment, Lily continued, "However, with the role of godmother… during our lesson, I realized that Ariana may one day need someone to teach her these things. As much as I'd like to say that I'll take that role on… with this war, I can't make that guarantee, especially since I've denied _him_ twice now." Her smile turned sadly nostalgic as she added, "And I don't want her to be forced to deal with the bigots' criticisms until she manages to get one of them to teach her what she has to learn like I had to."

"And who better to teach her than her pureblood godmother," Narcissa finished, realizing where Lily was going. "But Lily, what of my husband and his… loyalties?"

Remaining silent for several moments to ponder this very problem, Lily finally answered slowly, "Even though I'm positive you'd be a good mother to any child, I know that should anything happen to James and I, due to Lucius' obvious loyalty to _him_ nobody will allow you to try and take custody of Ariana and her future sibling. However, I _do_ know that I still want you to at least be a part of Ari's life…" Suddenly brightening as an idea came to her, she looked over at her friend shrewdly. "Have you ever heard of a Guardian Angel?"

"Guardian, yes. Angel… no," came the confession.

Nodding once, for she expected something similar, Lily secretly relished the opportunity that now it was _her_ turn to be the teacher. "In many muggle religions, especially Judaism and the many forms of Christianity, living in Heaven alongside God are beings called angels, often depicted as beautiful humans with wings- rather similar to Veela, minus the rest of the upper body turning birdlike and the constant allure towards those of the opposite sex. They are often considered to be amongst the holiest of everything in creation, save for God and (in the case of Christianity) Jesus Christ. In order to help their Heavenly Father, angels are given various duties- one of the many being a Guardian for various humans.

"When I was young, my mother would tell Petunia and I that no matter wherever we would go in life, our Guardian Angels would be watching over us to keep us safe from harm. While we wouldn't be able to see them, they would always be there in case they were needed."

Intrigued despite herself, Narcissa asked, "And how does your Guardian Angel fit into my role as Ariana's godmother?"

"Why, you'll be Ariana's Guardian Angel, of course!"

Blinking several times in shock, the Lady Malfoy finally gathered her thoughts enough to mull over what Lily had told her. If Guardian Angels supposedly guarded their charges without being seen… then, as Ariana's godmother _and _Guardian Angel, Narcissa would have to work behind the scenes to be sure that her adorable goddaughter would not only be protected from those that would wish her harm, but also give her the tools needed to be able to one day stand on her own. It'd be a challenge for sure, considering that she'd have to make sure that neither the Dark Lord nor Dumbledore ever figured out what she would be doing… but she was positive that it could be done.

The more she thought about it, the more being Ariana's Guardian Angel satisfied Narcissa's Slytherin nature. With that thought in mind, there was only one way to answer Lily's request.

"Lily, I would love to be Ariana's godmother, with all that it implies."

Smiling, the Lady Potter let the feeling of one less burden being relieved fill her soul. If everything went as planned, even if she and James fell to Voldemort her family _would_ be safe.

* * *

><p>AN: *gasps* Oh my goodness, an actual update!

Yep, I finally was able to battle the Anti-Muse long enough to finally set up yet another VERY IMPORTANT piece of Ariana/Kie's life- her godmother Narcissa Malfoy! Like stated above, Narcissa's role is going to be to help Ariana learn all about various Wizarding Customs (including how to make Oaths... *coughhinthintcough*) and will be one of several shoulders for Ariana to be able to lean on during her Hogwarts years. Unlike some other people, however, Narcissa is going to be more behind the scenes in order to prevent Voldie, Dumbledore, and other Death Eaters from glancing too closely at her own family. How she does that, and the full story of how she and Lily became friends... will be revealed in 'The Western Daughter and the Sorcerer's Stone'! (Or should I make it 'The Western Daughter and the Philosopher's Stone'? They both sound rather nice... opinions, please?)

Oh, and we learn that Peter, rather than Remus, will be her godfather, and the reason why. There is a reason why I settled with him even though Remus had won the poll on dA of who should be her godfather... which will become clear in the relevant stories.

BTW, I know I **totally** made an assumption that the Wizarding World hadn't really heard of angels, and that's because I honestly don't remember if there were any pure-blood characters that ever made even the slightest reference to them in the canon storyline. So, if I'm wrong feel free to tell me so!


	4. Chapter 4

*I don't own Harry Potter, InuYasha, or any of their characters

* * *

><p>"I SWEAR TO MERLIN, JAMES, I'LL <em>WILL<em> CASTRATE YOU FOR THIS THRICE-DAMNED AGONY!"

The man for whom that curse was screamed at winced as he waited anxiously in the waiting room just outside of the maternity ward. Unlike from what he had heard of Muggle hospitals, St. Mungo's somewhat ancient policies dictated that males were to wait outside of the birthing room unless they were Healers… which, from the increasingly colorful curses that were being heard, might've been a good thing for poor James Potter.

While Remus clasped his shoulder in a show of honest brotherly support, Sirius merely laughed at James' expression.

"Merlin, Prongs, your face is _hilarious_!" he finally managed to breath out in between chortles.

As James glowered at his best friend, the other expectant father in the room looked over at the three Marauders. "You do realize that when the time comes for _you_ to be in our place that we will laugh just as hard, right Sirius?" commented Frank Longbottom.

Snickering, Remus added, "And knowing Sirius, he'll choose someone with an even _worse_ temper than Lily!"

"Oh, ha ha," muttered Sirius. As the rest of the males in the room laughed at the irritated expression that now filled Sirius' face, even James was able to make a weak smile despite yet the sound of yet another scream of Lily's echoing from her room.

When his laughter had subsided a bit, Frank turned to James. "Say, I noticed a member of your family's missing. Who's watching little Ari?" he inquired.

"Ariana's with the Weasley's right now," answered the proud father. "Molly figured that rather than having her listen to her mother's screams, Ari would rather have a playdate with baby Ron instead."

At that moment, a pained scream echoed from the direction of Alice Longbottom's room. Frank winced at the level of agony that was apparent in it. After it was over, however, came an unmistakable sound.

"Congratulations, Frank, you're now officially a dad!" James pronounced as the newest Longbottom's cry filled the ward. Remus and Sirius offered their own congratulations as a happily stunned expression appeared on Frank's face.

Thirty seconds later, one of the nurses came out of the Longbottom room. Glancing around, she soon spotted the new father and hurried over to him.

"Your wife and child are ready to see you now," she informed him with a smile.

As Frank all but ran to see his new child, Sirius asked the room in general, "Any bets on whether it's a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy, Mr. Black," the nurse commented as she walked away, obviously not in the mood for Sirius' antics. Chuckles filled the room while the would-be bookkeeper pouted at his spoiled fun.

After his chuckles subsided, James leaned back with a sigh. "Lily's been in labor for hours…" he observed with another sigh. Pulling out his pocket watch and glancing at it, he noticed that it was a couple minutes until midnight. "How much longer is our child going to take until I can finally meet him?"

Glancing back over at the now lone expectant father in the room, the two Marauders who had accompanied their friend stood up and took seats on opposite sides of him. While Sirius sent off a Patronus with the news of Frank's new son, Remus comforted James. "You know that every birth is different, Prongs, as we've all learned from Molly's experiences. Your kid'll show up when they're ready, and not a minute sooner."

"Obviously the new Potter's inherited James' tendencies to make everyone wait, though," said Sirius.

James Potter did the only logical thing he could think of at that point.

"OW! What was the stinging hex for?!"

"Face it, Sirius, you deserved that one," remarked Remus.

Rubbing his arm, Sirius retorted, "Maybe… but it still hurt!"

Massaging his face with both of his hands, James ignored his friends' bickering as he settled down once more to wait. Wincing once more at Lily's pained scream, he sighed in resignation. Checking his watch again, he noticed that it was now a quarter after midnight.

"Time flies…" he muttered quietly.

Suddenly, a loud wail filled the air. As one, the three Marauders' heads whipped towards Lily's room.

"Can it be…?" James breathed, standing up.

Sure enough, a nurse soon came out of Lily's room with a large smile on her face.

"Your wife and child are ready to see you now," she informed him.

Not wasting any time, the newest father dashed into the room. As he paused just inside the doorway, his wife looked up from the bundle in her arms with a tired pride in her eyes.

"James… come meet your son," Lily quietly ordered.

"A son…?" James marveled, walking quickly towards the two of them. Positioning himself for the best possible view, James Potter looked upon the face of the newest Potter… well, as much of the face as he could see while the baby was enjoying its first meal. "He has my hair for sure," he laughed.

At the sound of the laugh, said son looked up at his father while continuing to feed.

"And he'll have my eyes," Lily added while James marveled at the brilliant green specks that were already peeking through the standard blue-grey of newborn eyes.

Without looking away from his son's eyes, James said, "He's beautiful, Lily love." Finally looking away to glance at his wife, he asked, "What should we name him?"

Thinking for a moment, Lily's eyes soon lit up. "I have an idea…"

* * *

><p>"Hello! We're here!" sang out Molly as she stepped from the fireplace, the fire dying out as soon as the Floo connection was closed. In her arms, Ariana babbled happily as soon as she recognized her surroundings.<p>

Poking his head out of the family room, James quietly called back, "We're in here, and the baby's sleeping."

Making an excited yet quiet 'oh' of understanding, the Weasley matriarch bustled towards where the rest of Ariana's family was. As she turned the corner, she soon spotted Lily holding a distinctive bundle.

Looking up, the Lady Potter's face erupted into a huge smile at the sight of her daughter in a friend's arms. "Hey, Molly," she greeted softly.

Reciprocating the greeting, Molly added, "And congratulations on the new baby!" Coming closer with a quiet surety that only comes from being a mother, she inquired, "I heard that you had a boy… what's his name?"

"We named him Harry James," answered James as he reached his arms out for his baby girl. Without missing a beat, the Weasley matriarch handed her over as she went to coo at Harry, who was happily asleep.

Nuzzling her tiny nose, the proud father whispered, "Hello, Ari-girl." As she cooed back, he shifted her to a more comfortable position. "Guess what?" he murmured, filling his voice with an excited tone that was sure to get his daughter's attention. When she looked up, he continued, "You have a new baby brother."

"James, quit hogging Ari and bring her over to meet Harry," ordered Lily with a smile.

"Yes, Lils," her husband replied, walking over to where the two witches were. As Molly shifted to make room for him, he sat down on the couch and positioned Ariana so that she could clearly see her new sibling.

Fondness filling her eyes as she took in the first sight of her two children together, Lily shifted Harry just a bit so that his face could be clearly seen by her daughter. "Ariana, meet your new baby brother," she introduced quietly.

Staring at the baby with obvious curiosity, Ariana shifted a touch closer. As if sensing her presence, Harry himself shifted a bit in Lily's arms. Opening his eyes, the baby soon saw the last member of his family. For a good minute, the two siblings stared at each other. Then, in a show of disinterest that made all of the adults in the room chuckle, Harry shifted back into his original position and fell back asleep.

Ariana, meanwhile, looked up at her parents. The nine-month old cooed questioningly while one of her arms gestured vaguely towards the other baby.

"Yes, Ari-girl, that's Harry," James told her.

Molly smiled at the sight. Ariana had definitely stolen her father's heart since that fateful day she joined the Potter family, and it was always a heartwarming to see the head Marauder become so gentle and loving towards his little girl. The Weasley matriarch thought that it was for the best, for she believed that knowing that his daughter was home waiting for him helped tame James' notorious recklessness. And now that baby Harry was here, hopefully his tendency of taking risks would disappear even more.

Pausing for a moment, Molly remembered that James was one of the most stubborn people she had ever known. Well, one could hope.

* * *

><p>It had been a whole week since Harry had come home, and the two parents were <em>very<em> thankful that they had experience dealing with Ariana before Harry had come along. This time around, they were more prepared to get up in the middle of the night and deal with whatever needed to be dealt with. While he wasn't as needy as some other babies, Harry still liked to get up multiple times a night.

Ariana, surprisingly, was the biggest trooper about the new baby in the house. While she was awakened by Harry, she had yet to cry about it. Both parents had noticed their daughter looking at Harry every time with an interesting expression on her face. James liked to think that it was a worried expression, while in the deepest part of her heart Lily was sure it was a halfway wistful expression. Every time she saw it, Lily was once again struck with the questions of who Ariana's original family was. She was starting to think that Harry wasn't Ariana's only sibling, but with their lack of knowledge about their daughter's past, she would probably never find out.

Either way, Ariana was surprisingly accommodating about the new addition to the household.

On this particular morning, James and Lily were in the process of feeding their children. Lily was breastfeeding Harry, while James was giving Ariana some baby food (broccoli, carrot, and cheese-flavored, if one were to guess just by the color). This quiet scene would've probably continued if it hadn't been for the sudden sound of the Floo being activated.

"James? Lily? Are either of you home?" came Albus' voice from the living room fireplace.

After giving each other a surprised look, Lily continued to feed Harry while James quickly wiped off the mess on his daughter's face and hurried to poke his head into the living room. "We're in the kitchen, Albus, feeding the children," he answered.

"Ah, very good," the aged professor's head said jovially. "Would you mind if I stepped through, my dear boy?"

"Not at all," James agreed, "just meet us in the kitchen, for I'm not done feeding Ari and Lily is feeding Harry."

As Albus agreed and tucked his head back out of the fireplace, James went back into the kitchen. Settling back down to feed Ariana once more, he quietly commented to his wife, "I wonder what he wants with us."

Shrugging, Lily shifted Harry to burp him as she adjusted her shirt to be presentable while responding, "We'll just have to see."

Before James could say anything else, the subject of their conversation came strolling in. Ariana babbled happily upon seeing him, and Dumbledore waved back at her as he always did whenever he saw her.

However, James and Lily were very alarmed at the lack of twinkle in the old man's eyes.

"Professor? Is something wrong?" inquired Lily gently. At that moment, Harry finally succumbed to his mother's patting and burped loud enough to startle the old man.

The professor watched as Harry was guided into a more comfortable position in Lily's arms. James, upon seeing the look in his eyes, felt a slight chill run down his spine. Whatever news Dumbledore had, it wasn't good.

Shaking his head slightly, Albus looked at the two parents. "James, Lily… I came to tell you that your son, along with Neville Longbottom, is in grave danger from Voldemort."

"What do you mean, 'Our son is in grave danger'?" demanded Lily.

James, sharing his wife's disbelief, added, "Why would _he_ be concerned with two newborn infants? He never has been before."

Taking a deep breath to seemingly gather his strength, Dumbledore began, "Shortly before Ariana joined your family, I had been interviewing the new Divination teacher, who had recited a prophecy to me…"

* * *

><p>AN: So, I hope that everyone who celebrates it had a happy Thanksgiving! I just wanted to let you know, though, that this is the last chapter for 2014, for I'm going to be focusing on two other stories during the holiday season. And yes, this chapter is the weakest one so far, however I needed to get it out in order to get on with the last two chapters for this segment of the series.


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